


How Did We Get Here

by Tshilaba



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-02
Updated: 2015-08-02
Packaged: 2018-04-12 15:47:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4485407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tshilaba/pseuds/Tshilaba





	How Did We Get Here

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ForcedSimile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForcedSimile/gifts).



To Levi, it was an average morning. He opened the curtains to his bedroom window and turned the alarm clock off. As always, he would have two hours to get ready and get to work. That was how he liked things. It only took him twenty minutes to get to work; but he enjoyed having an hour or so to spend time with his tea.

His day was turned on its head, however, when he walked into the living room.

Sitting in the middle of the rug, legs crossed, sat a young...woman? It was hard to see just from appearance, and he was loath to assume things. The stranger had almost chocolate brown hair and wore glasses. In front of them was a goat, about two feet tall at the shoulder, wearing a poncho.

He stood there, staring at the peculiar duo in the middle of his living room. It brought so many questions to mind that he almost felt his entire reaction was solely a string of question marks.

Before he could open his mouth, the brunet got up and led the goat out of the apartment.

Levi stared in disbelief. "What the actual fuck." He shook his head, putting the odd person out of his mind before going back to his day.

~*~

When he found them there the next day, he asked them how they got there.

In response, the brunet smiled at the goat before leading it out again.

Levi sighed and shook his head. Apparently the stranger liked his living room. "As long as they don't mess with my shit..."

~*~

Over the next few weeks, he found the brunet in his living room every morning. For the most part, he treated them as if they didn't exist. The one morning he offered them a drink they simply shook their head and left. But, finally, he could take it no longer and swore to get to the bottom of it the next morning.

It took him completely by surprise, then, to run into them that very evening in the grocery store. It confuse him, as he'd never seen them around before, but few held to schedules like he did, so it was likely they'd missed each other. They were standing in front of the cucumbers, Levi examining one for bruising, when he finally said "Why are you in my living room every morning?"

"He likes it there," they said simply, walking off as if they believed the conversation over.

Levi shook his head. "This is why I don't talk to my neighbors...."

~*~

A few more weeks passed before he asked again, this time standing in front of the door to prevent them from leaving. "Why the hell are you here? And don't give me that 'he likes it' bs."

They sighed softly, scratching the goat's ears gently. "My neighbors get too crazy at night."

"And that's my problem, how?" He moved slightly, intent on making tea, but he stopped. "Do you want some tea?"

"...sure," they answered.

He nodded and moved to the kitchen. "Continue."

"I'm sorry," they said. "I just had to get away from them."

"And you wound up here. How the fuck did you get that damn thing here? This is the twelfth floor."

They laughed. "Nimby's a special goat."

"Okay then."

"But yeah. I didn't mean to barge into your life."

"Tch." He set the mug of fresh brewed tea down onto the counter and slid a canister next to it. "Sweeten that to your liking." When they nodded and did so, he went on. "I got used to you. And you never messed with my shit."

"Ah... Oh, I'm Zoe, by the way. Or Hange."

"Levi. And which do you prefer?"

"Hange, actually," the brunet said, adjusting their glasses. "Zoe evokes so many images of girly girls."

"It means 'full of life' in Greek."

"That's true..."

He took a drink of his tea. "Pronouns?"

"Hm? Oh, um, she is fine," she answered. She smiled softly. "You're one of the few that asked. Most people just assume."

He nodded. Finishing his tea, he set the mug in the sink and filled it with water. "Feel free to come here when you need to. Just don't break anything."

She nodded. "Thank you."

~*~

The months passed by, and nearly every morning he found her in the living room with her goat, Nimby. Some days she wore baggy cargo pants and an oversized hoodie, others she wore more feminine clothes. Some days she accepted the tea he offered her, other days she refused politely with a smile and a small wave before heading out the door.

Perhaps he was coming to like her, as he felt a minute ache every morning she wasn't there. But then, it was inevitable he'd come to like anyone that wasn't automatically petrified of him, he supposed.

One morning, he found her alone on the living room floor, the goat nowhere to be found. "Where's Nimby?"

She shook her head.

He sighed and moved past her to the kitchen to brew their tea, sweetening hers exactly the way she liked it. He came back and sat down across from her, holding out the owl mug he'd bought a few months back for her.

She took it silently, staring into the tea.

"What happened, Hange? You've never been this quiet."

"They broke Nimby's legs last night," she said finally, her voice quiet and scratchy. "The vet had to put him down. They're being charged with animal abuse, but..."

"But what?"

"I wasn't supposed to have any pets, least of all a goat. My landlord gave me three days to move out."

"And you've got nowhere to go."

"Nope," she replied. She set the mug down and shoved her glasses into her hair, rubbing her eyes. She sniffed. "I rescued him, but...he saved me. And he was the one that found your place. An' I never thought--" She sniffed again, tears slipping down her cheeks.

Levi sighed and set their mugs aside before reaching out and wiping her tears away. "You can stay here."

"R-really? But won't people think we're dating?"

"Would that bother you?"

She snorted before bursting into laughter so hard she fell over backwards, clutching her stomach. As her laughter died down, she smiled. "It doesn't bother me if it doesn't bother you."

"Good."


End file.
